Coffee may lower risk of type 2 diabetes

Moderate consumption of coffee may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and younger women. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA, evaluated the consumption of different types of coffee in relation to the development of type 2 diabetes in more than 88,000 women. In general, higher coffee consumption, both caffeinated and decaffeinated, was found to be associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The reduction in risk was 13 percent with one cup of coffee per day, and as much as 47 percent with four or more cups. The reduced risk of type 2 diabetes was limited to filtered coffee and instant coffee whereas consumption of espresso or percolator coffee did not significantly reduce the risk. However, the researchers do not recommend people to start consuming coffee to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes. Coffee components other than caffeine may also improve glucose metabolism. Therefore, studies that attempt to identify these coffee components would be useful and could help in the selection of coffee types with greater health benefits.